Pope Francis is "stable" and has not had any further bronchospasm
The pontiff has reportedly responded well to therapy, but more time is needed to know how the crisis has affected him
BarcelonaPope Francis has had a quiet night, the Vatican said, after the bronchospasm crisis he suffered on Friday that caused a "sudden" worsening of his health. According to the Vatican, the pontiff experienced an "isolated" bronchospasm crisis, an involuntary contraction of the lung muscles that restricts access to air. However, the same information suggests that Francis has responded well to the therapy received. "This afternoon, the Holy Father, after a morning of respiratory physiotherapy, and in prayer in the chapel, suffered an isolated bronchospasm crisis that led to an episode of vomiting with inhalation," they said in a statement.
"The Holy Father's clinical condition remains stable," said the latest medical report, which was eagerly awaited after the respiratory crisis the day before, which caused a "sudden" worsening of his respiratory condition. During Sunday, "he alternated non-invasive mechanical ventilation with long periods of high-flow oxygen therapy, always maintaining a good response to gas exchange," the note adds.
The complication of the crisis came because of vomiting. Francis, when breathing, would have swallowed the fluid. This meant that the doctors had to quickly remove the gastric fluids from the respiratory system using an aspiration system. In response to the crisis, the doctors also started assisted breathing with "non-invasive" mechanical ventilation and, according to them, the Pope would have responded well. His lungs correctly recovered the capacity to inhale oxygen and return it to the body. During the crisis, Francis would have been "always lucid and oriented" and has "collaborated in the therapeutic maneuvers."
The worsening of the clinical picture comes fifteen days after his admission to the Gemelli hospital in Rome and breaks with the dynamic of "improvement" of the last few days. In fact, on Thursday it was announced that Francis had left the critical phase behind. This morning he continued to improve and, according to the Vatican's morning report, he has continued pulmonary physiotherapy treatment combining high-flow oxygen therapy with an oxygen mask.
No discharge date
In recent days, the Vatican has also reported that the pontiff has overcome the kidney failure he was suffering from. His immediate health problems are now respiratory: if at the beginning he was already suffering from bronchitis with a polymicrobial infection, bilateral pneumonia has been added. The Pope, according to the Church, continues to have a "complex" clinical picture and his prognosis remains "reserved."
While he remains hospitalized, the Vatican is working to arrange Francisc's schedule, who still has no clear discharge date. This afternoon, hours before the crisis, the church has already announced that the pontiff will be replaced by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis at the celebration of Ash Wednesday on March 5. For next week, Francis was also scheduled to preside over the mass of the first Sunday of Lent in the Plaza de Sant Pere.
